Tear In Time (15 page)

  David
nodded his head and continued. “They have become such a big problem that laws
have been enacted to prohibit the use of cell phones while driving cars.”

  “Cars?
Does everyone own their own locomotive in your time? Astounding,” Dr. Morgan
said, shaking his head in amazement.

  “I'm
sorry, doc. I'm getting ahead of myself here. A car is slang for automobile. An
automobile is basically a horseless carriage. It has a small engine in it that
takes the place of the horses. Instead of reins, it has a steering wheel that
is connected to the front wheels, so when you turn the steering wheel right,
the car goes right, and when you turn the wheel left, it goes left. There are
pedals that you depress with your feet for brakes, as well as one for speed.
These automobiles will be invented some time before the turn of this century -
around 1886 I believe – by a German fellow named Karl Friedrich Benz,” David
explained.

  “Horseless
carriages! As I live and breathe, I don't think I ever could have imagined
that!” Dr. Morgan exclaimed once more, now with even greater enthusiasm. “What
do you feed these cars?” now spoken with the greatest curiosity.

  David
laughed to himself again at the question: not in condescension, but at his own
knowledge he had taken for granted. “Well, cars aren't actually alive. They are
mechanical devices that run on a petroleum-based fuel called gasoline. Gasoline
becomes a highly sought after, as a product that powers practically everything
we do: from driving cars, to heating our homes, to flying planes.
Unfortunately, the whole world’s supply is controlled by a handful of greedy
oil barons, who routinely disrupt the supply for their own selfish gains.”

  Dr.
Morgan laughed and replied, “Nothing every changes in humanity. As long as
there is a profit to be gained, there will surely be legions of corruptible men
waiting to prey on the innocent. I suspect this will always be the case.” Now
turning inquisitive, he asked, “David, what are these planes you speak of?”

 
“Airplanes are one of the greatest inventions since the beginning of time. They
are machines that fly...” David started but was immediately interrupted by Dr.
Morgan's initial reaction.

  “My
God, man, machines that fly? What are they used for, dare I inquire?” Dr.
Morgan asked, now with even greater intensity in his eyes.

 
“Airplanes – or just planes for short – are designed to carry people and
supplies. Some of the biggest planes can carry hundreds of people and thousands
of pounds of supplies, a truly amazing feat of engineering, even by modern
standards. They will be invented by two brothers named Orville and Wilbur
Wright in 1903. They were bicycle repairmen who were first in the race to
achieve powered flight. There were many who attempted the challenge, but the
Wrights were the first to succeed. What is even more amazing is that in a short
span of about sixty years, we went from a crude and dangerous wooden plane to a
metal spaceship that carried men to the moon,” David elaborated.

  “There
are men on the moon? I've always wondered about that,” Dr. Morgan replied,
looking almost relieved through his bewilderment.

  “Well
people don't actually live on the moon. They have only visited it. It's barren
and completely uninhabitable. What is interesting, though, is that advancements
in science have allowed us to explore other planets, like Jupiter, Mars, and
Saturn. The United States will send up many unmanned spaceships that collect
pictures and send them back to Earth, sort of the same way people send their
communications by cell phone. It really is amazing,” David replied, now
becoming as enthusiastic as his audience.

  Dr.
Morgan sat in silence, on his log in front of the campfire, and pondered the
advancements of the future while he coiffed his long white beard. After a few
minutes he spoke. “The men of your time must be exceedingly intelligent. I am
humbled,” he said in awe.

  “Not
everyone's a genius. Besides, most have assistance from computers nowadays to
help with advancements,” David said, then continued with a smile. Anticipating
the doctor’s next inquiry, he continued, “And to answer your next question,
computers are devices that are like a mechanical brain. They process and store
complex information, liberating us from tasks that would normally take many
times longer to accomplish, allowing us to devote more time to the more
critical aspects of creativity. These computers have their own language that
allows them to communicate with other computers to accomplish complex tasks and
solve difficult problems. Almost everything in the future has some form of
computer connected with it. In fact, I would not be understating if I said the
future world is totally dependent upon computers."

 
"Mechanical brains? This is truly an amazing discovery," Dr. Morgan
replied. "Do they also run on this gasoline you speak of?"

  David
shook his head and replied, "No, thankfully they don't. They run by
electricity."

 
"Ah yes, electricity. I've heard of that. Ben Franklin discovered it,
didn't he?" the old doctor replied, proud he could at least offer
something to the conversation.

 
"Actually, that is kind of a tall tale. Its first reported discovery,
believe it or not, was by a Greek philosopher named Thales of Miletus,
somewhere around 600 B.C., although the majority of advancements do come in
this century - the 1800s," David corrected. "In 2005, what is not run
by oil or gas is run by electricity. All lighting is run by electricity, as
well as appliances for household uses, not to mention countless uses in
industry and manufacturing. The advancements from now until 2005 are
mind-boggling," David finished, proud of his small lecture.

 
"I'm feeling somewhat envious, David," Dr. Morgan said. "Life
seems so much simpler 150 years from now."

  David
reflected on the old doctor’s statement, then replied, "It's funny. You'd
think that would be the case, but simplicity opens the door to complexity. The more
we free up our lives, the more we race to fill the void. The typical household
in 2005 sees both husband and wife working long hours to support a nice home
and children. The children are typically sent off to a facility to care for
them before and after school. After school, children are frequently involved in
hours of extracurricular activities, such as sports and theater, as the mother
or the father race the children from one activity to the next. All too often,
families eat at fast food restaurants, then come home, and the parents help the
children do hours of homework. From the minute a family wakes, to the minute
they go to sleep, they're continuously on the go. Being in the medical field,
I'm treating more and more people for stress- and exhaustion-related illnesses.
It's become almost epidemic around the world."

 
"Why can't they slow down? Is there some unusual force that compels
them?" Dr. Morgan questioned.

 
"Well, I wouldn't call the forces unusual. Typically greed, status and
ambition are the motives that drive these people," David replied.

 
"Goodness; those are such shallow and petty reasons for personal unrest.
Seems hard to believe they have grown unchecked and are causing such tragedy in
the world," Dr. Morgan stated incredulously.

 
"It does defy logic. The sad truth is having everything at your fingertips
doesn't guarantee a satisfying life. I believe people have gotten used to
abundance and now look for other sources for personal fulfillment. It's a case
of 'trouble in paradise',” David explained.

  David
was about to elaborate further when he heard the piercing sound of the bugler's
horn, signaling ‘fall in’ for the march.

 
"We're on the move again, David. We'll have to continue this topic at a
later time," Dr. Morgan stated, standing up and walking toward his
dew-covered tent. Looking back to David, he continued, “If you need some help,
let me know.”

  David
smiled at the old doctor’s consideration and replied, “I’m pretty sure I
remember what you showed me. Thankfully it’s not rocket science.”

 
“Rocket science? I don’t believe I’ve ever heard that phrase before. What is
rocket science?” Dr. Morgan asked as he knelt and rolled up his tent.

  “It’s
a topic worth saving for our intensely boring ride,” David replied through a
smile.

 
“Impeccable judgment, lad.” Dr. Morgan nodded in agreement.

  ---
--- --- --- ---

  The
heat of the day bore mercilessly down on the long column of troops. With
temperatures approaching the nineties, canteens were quickly emptied without
the prospect of replacement. Soon, many could not stand their insidious thirst
any longer. Breaking formation, many wandered beyond the safety of the column
in search of water. Sometime later, the sound of the train of men could no
longer be heard. Isolated and alone, many collapsed in helpless despair as the
ravages of heat and dehydration attacked their bodies. Unable to press on, they
neither had the strength nor the will to continue. Their fate was now in the
hands of the enemy.

  David
conserved his water as best he could, wetting the inside of his mouth, then
spitting the salivated water back into his canteen, a trick Dr. Morgan had
learned from years spent in the Arizona Territories. Weak from thirst and sore
from hours in the saddle, David and Dr. Morgan rode their horses in silence as
they tried to conserve their strength. Trotting along in quiet misery, they
battled the intense boredom by mentally counting the wildflowers that passed by
on the roadside, until the monotony of this, too, could no longer be tolerated.
They turned their attention to other innocuous topics as they struggled to pass
the time.

  Far
above their heads, as the temperatures pushed higher into the nineties, the
effects of the rising heat and moisture transformed the empty air into cumulus
clouds that now began to hang heavy across the valley.  With each moment
that the sun hid behind the puffy clouds of cotton, the intensity of its rays
softened as the light filtered through. Soon, the delicate blue of the clear sky
was swallowed up by the ever expanding fluffy clouds, until late in the
afternoon, all that remained was the legacy of its intense heat.

  As far
as the eye could see, dark and menacing clouds were now threatening the valley.
Dr. Morgan broke his stare of the ground and now scanned the trees around him.
He felt the warm gusts of wind brush past him on their way to the tree line,
and watched as the gusts now violently shook the leaves and branches, rocking
the trunks of the trees down to the ground.

 
"Better button your top knot, son. We're in for a deluge," Dr. Morgan
said to David, now fastening his coat buttons.

 
"Out of the frying pan, into the fire," David retorted back in
frustration.

 
"Huh - I don't recall ever hearing that statement before. An accurate
depiction of our situation I'd have to say, lad," Dr. Morgan said, mildly
amused.

 
"Well, maybe it will be just a passing shower," David replied as he
starting fastening his own buttons. "Sometimes clouds can look more
threatening than they really are."

 
"I'm quite certain you are correct in general, but I'm afraid those clouds
will make good on their promise," Dr. Morgan replied pessimistically, then
continued with a slight smile, "At least we'll be able to refill our
canteens. That is certainly worth the price of our discomfort."

  David
thought about the old doctor's statement for a moment, then asked, "Doc,
how do we fill our canteens in the rain? Do you have a funnel or some kind of
collection device for that purpose?"

 
"Your hat, lad. With an officer’s hat, the water collects on the brim and
funnels it through to the front narrows. You just collect it as it drains off
the brim. Careful though; let the water flush the salt and dust first."
Dr. Morgan instructed, giving mock demonstration for effect.

 
"So how do the foot soldiers collect the rain water? They only have
caps," David asked, his dry throat producing a hoarse, raspy voice.

 
"A slight variation of the process. They try to collect the water inside
their caps and let it drain into their canteens as the water penetrates a
weakness. It's not as effective as our hats, but it does work," Dr. Morgan
replied.